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| Kirk to cut number of ministers | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| Church of Scotland ministers could be cut under plans to reduce the Kirk's £5.7m deficit. | |
| About 25 ministers a year would be cut over a four-year period under the restructuring plans put forward by the Ministries Council. | About 25 ministers a year would be cut over a four-year period under the restructuring plans put forward by the Ministries Council. |
| The Kirk hopes this measure, and the "almost unprecedented" plan to train church members to lead services, would help balance the books by 2014. | The Kirk hopes this measure, and the "almost unprecedented" plan to train church members to lead services, would help balance the books by 2014. |
| The plans will be considered by the Kirk's General Assembly next month. | The plans will be considered by the Kirk's General Assembly next month. |
| The wages of ministers have been a major contributor to the deficit, which has built up since the last restructuring about five years ago. | The wages of ministers have been a major contributor to the deficit, which has built up since the last restructuring about five years ago. |
| 'Completely unsustainable' | 'Completely unsustainable' |
| The Church of Scotland said after that reorganisation, it expected that the number of ministers - 800 at the time - would remain fairly static. | The Church of Scotland said after that reorganisation, it expected that the number of ministers - 800 at the time - would remain fairly static. |
| However, there are now 1,000 ministers and the Kirk said the deficit was "completely unsustainable". | However, there are now 1,000 ministers and the Kirk said the deficit was "completely unsustainable". |
| Aside from ministers retiring and "natural wastage", the Kirk said it also wanted to cut the numbers by 25 a year, until 2014. | Aside from ministers retiring and "natural wastage", the Kirk said it also wanted to cut the numbers by 25 a year, until 2014. |
| It said it would put a cap on the number of ministers joining from other denominations, to between 5 and 10 across the country. | |
| It is also going to move away from a "one minister, one parish" format to ministers effectively working part-time. | It is also going to move away from a "one minister, one parish" format to ministers effectively working part-time. |
| The church said the emphasis would be on providing the Sunday sermon, but the cleric would work elsewhere during weekdays. | The church said the emphasis would be on providing the Sunday sermon, but the cleric would work elsewhere during weekdays. |
| 'Preaching pool' | 'Preaching pool' |
| It hoped these flexible working conditions could, as well as saving money, also help increase the number of female ministers, who currently make up just a fifth of parish ministers. | It hoped these flexible working conditions could, as well as saving money, also help increase the number of female ministers, who currently make up just a fifth of parish ministers. |
| The Kirk said it was also exploring ways to "tap into a wider range of the talent of the Kirk's membership", by training ordinary people to lead services on a monthly basis. | The Kirk said it was also exploring ways to "tap into a wider range of the talent of the Kirk's membership", by training ordinary people to lead services on a monthly basis. |
| It said it hoped to create "special ministers" in the same way that the police service created special constables. | It said it hoped to create "special ministers" in the same way that the police service created special constables. |
| A pilot training scheme for a locally ordained ministry is to begin in Caithness after the summer. | A pilot training scheme for a locally ordained ministry is to begin in Caithness after the summer. |
| The Ministries Council said the Kirk could have a "substantial part-time preaching pool" within a few years if the scheme was to be successful, and training would then be rolled out nationwide. | The Ministries Council said the Kirk could have a "substantial part-time preaching pool" within a few years if the scheme was to be successful, and training would then be rolled out nationwide. |